Mayoral Candidates More Alike Than Not

Lenares, Woods Competing For Top Seat In Town

NEWINGTON — — There are some interesting similarities between mayoral candidates Mike Lenares, a Republican, and Democrat Steve Woods.

Both started their political careers serving on the board of education and both eventually switched parties.

Both were born and raised in Newington and graduated from Newington High School, Woods in 1971 and Lenares in 1987. Both founded and continue to run local landscaping companies. Both have been married for 22 years.

And both are campaign aggressively to be elected mayor in a town where the position — and control of the council — has switched back and forth between the two parties in recent years.

Republican Jeff Wright was elected mayor in 2007, leading a Republican takeover of the council after 16 years of Democratic control. He was narrowly re-elected in 2009, but Republicans lost their council majority.

Wright resigned in March and Lenares, who was elected to the council in 2007 and was deputy mayor, took over the job. He had served as a Democrat on the board of education for eight years. He switched parties when Democrats did not nominate him for the council and Wright suggested he run as a Republican.

Lenares said Democrats didn't like his independent way of thinking.

Woods has served on the school board since 1999 and is its current chairman. Although he was first elected as a Republican, he switched parties about eight years ago. He described himself as fiscally "extremely conservative" and believed local Democrats were more conservative than the Republicans.

Taxes have been the preeminent issue in the campaign. Although both candidates say they want to see no tax increase next year, there is a subtle distinction between the two positions.

Lenares has promised no tax increase and no reduction in services and said he will use money from the town's reserve fund if necessary.

"Now is the time to give people a break," he said.

Woods also opposes a tax increase, but says the level of state aid is a key factor in the budget.

""The reason I can't guarantee that is I can't guarantee what the state is going to do," Woods said.

Woods said Republicans, especially under Wright, governed with a negative style that divided people. He said he wants a more cooperative atmosphere and pointed to his work in resolving a dispute between the school board and town on the joint health benefits fund that saw $767,000 returned to the town.

Lenares said he has a different approach to government that Wright and can work with both parties. He said he proved that when one of his first official acts as mayor was to appoint Democrat Scott McBride as deputy mayor.

In the race for the council, both Democratic Town Committee Chairman Carol Anest and Republican Town Committee Chairman Benjamin Ancona said they are confident their party would win control of the council.

The Republican candidates for town council are incumbents John "Jay" Bottalico, Beth Kinsey DelBuono and Dave J. Nagel, along with newcomers Robert C. Tofeldt, Sr. and Paul Vessella.

The Democratic council candidates are incumbents McBride, Myra Cohen and Maureen Klett and newcomers Terry Borjeson and Clarke Castelle.